Buffer for railway rolling-stock



I). C. DAVIS.

BUFFER FOR RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK.

' APPLICATION FILED DE(1.3, 1917. 1,339,743. Patented May 11, 19200 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

lNVE/VTOR ATTOR/VEKS.

p. c. DAVIS. BUFFER FOR RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK.

APPLIYCATIQN FILED DEC-3, 1917. 1,339,743. 7 Patented May 11, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- EM WM 5 2/46 WM.

NITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DONALD c. DAVIS, or DEPEW, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'ro GOULD COUPLER 00., OFNEW YORK, N. Y.

BUFFER FOR RAILWAY ROLLING-STOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented May 11, 1920.

Application filed December 3. 1917. Serial No. 205,007.

This invention relates to buffers for railway passenger cars, tenders and other railway rolling stock, and more particularly to a combined spring and friction buffer which extends outwardly from, or is located wholly in front of, the end sill of the-car or other rolling stock to which the buffer is applied.

The objects of the invention are to provide a practical and desirable buffer adapted to be applied to and to extend outwardly or forwardly from the end sill of the car or other railway rolling stock and which has a very high and adjustable capacity and long travel with a low, easy and smooth recoil; and which preferably also enables the cars to be coupled up without bringing the friction resistance elements into action; also to secure these results in a buffer having a transversely arranged buffer head which is mounted, as usual, on central and side supporting stems and is adapted to swing horizontally so that the buffer heads of adjacent cars can remain in contact from end to end when the cars are rounding curves; also to provide abuffer of improved construction in the other respects hereinafter described and set forth in'the claims.

. In the accompanying'drawings Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the end portion of acar or other railway rolling stock frame equipped with a buffer embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the buffer showing the end sill of the car in section.

Fig. 3 is a plan view partly in section 7 thereof.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation partly in sec- -ti on thereof.

Fig. 5 is a detail section thereof on line 5-5, Fig. 3.

A represents the end sill of a railroad car, tender or other railway rolling stock, hereinafter termed, for the sake of simplicity, a car. B represents the car coupler which, as usual, is carried by a draw bar extending outwardly from the draft gear beneath the end sill A.- A metal end sill is shown composed of a vertical plate and angle bars secured to the upper and lower edges of the plate, but the buffer can be used with end sills of other construction.

The buffer comprises a housing 10 which is rigidly secured to the outer or front side of the end sill and projects outwardly therefrom, a buffer head or plate 11, center and side stems 12, 13, 13 to the outer ends of which the buffer head or plate is pivotally connected, and spring and friction devices which are mounted in the housing 10 for yieldingly resisting the inward or buffing movement of the buffing head. The housing 10 and buffer head extend horizontally transversely of the car or parallel with the end sill A. The housing can be rigidly 'fixed to the end sill A'by rivets 14c, bolts, or

other suitable fastening devices, extending through the upright rear wall or plate 15 of. the housing 10. The housing preferably consists of a single-piece integral casting provided between its ends with a central chamber 16 in which the friction resistance devices are contained, and side chambers or pockets 17 17 at opposite sides of said central chamber for the side buffer springs and side buffer stems 13, 13. Preferably, the housing or casting 10 is provided with a mar ginal strengthening flange 18, with strengthening or stifiening ribsor webs 19 extending from the side pockets or chambers 17 to the upright rear wall of the housing or casting, and is also provided below its central cham ber or pocket with an integral block having an upright front wall 20 against which the usual horn or projection 21 on the coupler is the housing or casting and from the bottom wall of the housing or casting to the bottom wall of theycentral chamber or pocket 16.

The side buffer stems 13 are preferably hollow or tubular and open at their rear or inner ends and are arranged to slide or telescope in the side pockets 17 of the housing. '23 indicates buffer springs, one of which is located in each of the side pockets 17 with its ends bearing against the rear walls of these pockets-and against the outer ends of the hollow bufier stems. These springs cooperate with the friction devices, hereinafter described, to resist the inward movement of the buffer head. 24 represents stops or blocks which are bolted or otherwise secured to the housing or casting 10 and extend through the-walls of the side pockets 17 into longitudinal slots in the sides of the hollow bufler stems 13. These stops limit the outward movement of the buffer head and prevent its displacement from the hous- 1ng.

25 represents a wedge block which is located and adapted to move inwardly and outwardly in the central chamber 16 of the housing or casting, and 26 represents two wedge-shaped friction blocks which are arranged in the central chamber 16 of the housing at opposite sides of the wedge block 25 with their inclined inner faces contacting with the op osite inclined faces of the wedge block 25. he outer end of the wedge block 25 is adapted to'engage stop flanges 28 at the frontof the housing or casting at opposite sides of an opening 29 in the front wall thereof to limit the outward movement of the wedge block and prevent the displacement of the same from the chamber 16. The friction blocks 26 are adapted to move laterally or horizontally toward and from each other in the chamber 16 and are preferably guided between the upper and lower walls of the chamber 16 with their rear ends 26 for'resisting the movement ofthe fric- 1 '-incident to the bufiing action of the buffer.

31 represents bowed springs or spring plates which are arranged in the central chamber 16 between the end walls thereof and the outer sides of the friction blocks tion blocks outwardly or awayfrom each other by the-wedge block. Preferably there are two sets or groups of these springs for each of the friction blocks, said groups being arranged with their concaved sides facing each other and their ends in c ntact, and bearing centrally of their convex sides respectively against the friction block and the ad'acent end wall of the central chamber;-

16. hese springs or spring plates stand to be inserted into the chamber through openings 32 the top of the chamber 16, closed yremovable cover plates 33. .The friction blocks 26 and the wedgeblock 25 can be inserted into the chamber 16 through 1 the frontopening 29 thereof, and the springs s5 31 then inserted through the .openings 32.

When the wedge block 25 is forced inwardly I or rearwardly in the chamber 16, it forces apart the friction blocks 26 and this movement is resisted by the spring plates 31.

The spring plates and fr1cti0n blocks 26 outer end of the wedge block when the buffer head has been moved inwardly a predetermined distance. In the normal position of the parts, shown in Figs. 1 and 3,

this shoulder or enlargement is spaced forwardly from the end of the wedge block a inward movement of the buffer head is resisted by the side springs and by the central friction mechanism and owing to the arrangement of the buffer springs 23 at opposite sides of the friction mechanism, long and large springs can be employed. These springs can be-largeand strong enough to enable the inclined faces of the wedge block and friction blocks to have a relatively low pitch or slope and yet insure the release of the wedge blockafter it has been forced inwardly in the bulfing action. When the wedge block is made of low pitch, which is necessary to give along travel and easy or gradual recoil, very strong springs are required to insure the release of the wedge block. By the described arrangement two release springs for the wedge are provided ,and both of these can be large, heavy springs.

It is thus possible to use lowerpitch friction blocks than would otherwise be possible and-this enables a longer'travel of the buffer head and a much more grad-,

ual and easy recoil or release.v 4

, The combined spring and friction resistance devices give a very high capaclty and this capacity can be regulated by using a greater or less number of spring plates 31 vertically in the chamber 16 and are adapted.

for the friction blocks. The entire bufling mechanism is located front of the end sill and this permits the floor of thecar to be located lower-than where the mechanism is located beneath the car floor.

I claim as my invention 1. A combined sprin and friction-buffing 'mechanism for ra1 way rolling stock sufiicient distance to enable the inward comprising a ing outwardly transversely elongated houstransversely of and projectfrom the end of said rolling stock, a transversely extending buffer head having a central and side supporting stems entering said housing for supporting the buffer head therefrom, a friction mechanism mg extending comprising a wedge block arranged to be moved inwardly in said housing by said central stem, friction blocks which are in said housing by said wedge block, and springs insaid housing for resisting the lateral movement of said friction blocks, and coil springs which are arranged longitudinally in said housing at op osi te sides of said friction mechanism friction resistance mechanism,

an bear against, fixed parts of the housing 'to resist the inward movement of said buffer head, a lost motion connection being provided between the buffer head and said wedge whereby the wedge is not moved until after a preliminary independent resistance by said coil springs.

2. A combined sprmg and friction buffing mechanism for railway rolling stock comprising a transversely extending unitary housing having a central chamber for a friction resistance mechanism and side spring pockets at opposite sides thereof for side coil springs, buffer head friction resistance mechanism located in 51d central chamber and including a wedge block,- laterally movable friction blocks, and means for yieldingly opposing the movement of said friction blocks by said wedge, longitudinally arranged coil springs in said side s ring pockets and bearing against the fixe pockets to resist inward movement of the buffer head, said buffer head having a central supporting stem cooperating with said and side a transversely extending inner ends of the.

' stems which enter said side pockets and cooperate with said coil springs, said coil springs being arranged to offer an independent preliminaryresistance to the movement of the buffer head before said friction resistance mechanism comes'into action.

3. A combined spring and friction buffing mechanism for railway rolling stock comprising a transversely elongated housing adapted to be secured to said rolling stock transversely thereof and project outwardly therefrom, a transversely extending buffer head having central and side supporting stems which project into said housing for supporting and guiding said buffer head, a friction mechanism comprising a wedge block arranged to be moved inwardly in said housing by said central stem,

friction blocks which are moved laterally in said' housing by said wedge block, and springs in said housing for resisting the lateral movement of said friction blocks, and coil springs which extend longitudinally in said housing at opposite sides of said friction mechanism and bear against fixed parts of the,housing to resist inward "movement of said buffer head, said side stems being hollow and cooperating with "said housing to inclose said coil springs, a lost motion connection being provided between said central stem and said wedge block, whereby said'coil springs offer a preliminary resistance to the movement of said buffer head before said wedge and friction blocks are actuated. I

llvitness my hand this 30th day of Nov., '19 7.

DONALD 0. Davis. 

